What Is It?
Ford Fairlane Concept
What's Special About It?
This is Ford's take on an upscale family wagon of the future. It attempts to blend high-class materials, family-friendly practicality and a space-efficient interior into a package that doesn't look anything like the Fairlanes of the past. Large expanses of glass, a three-bar Ford grille and its delivery truck shape distinguish it from the outside while flexible seating and soft materials highlight the interior.
Each of the three rows focuses on delivering different levels of comfort and convenience features. The first row is all about the driver with a low dash and high seating position for good visibility and sculpted leather seats for maximum support. The second-row seats are captain's chairs as well but they get canvas covers for better durability and include multiple storage bins for stashing accumulated junk. The third row can seat two but it's more useful as a cargo bay given its stainless steel load floor and multifunctional tailgate.
As futuristic as it looks on the outside, its mechanical underpinnings are more current than you might think. Ford's midsize car architecture provides the skeleton while an all-aluminum 3.0-liter Duratec generates the power. With bones like that, the Fairlane might not be as far-fetched as it looks.
What's Edmunds' Take?
The Fairlane certainly has the look of a family car of the future, but look closer and it appears to be nothing more than a traditional SUV with a high-dollar interior. We like the execution, but question whether it really points the way to anything truly innovative in the segment. — Ed Hellwig
Ford Fairlane Concept
What's Special About It?
This is Ford's take on an upscale family wagon of the future. It attempts to blend high-class materials, family-friendly practicality and a space-efficient interior into a package that doesn't look anything like the Fairlanes of the past. Large expanses of glass, a three-bar Ford grille and its delivery truck shape distinguish it from the outside while flexible seating and soft materials highlight the interior.
Each of the three rows focuses on delivering different levels of comfort and convenience features. The first row is all about the driver with a low dash and high seating position for good visibility and sculpted leather seats for maximum support. The second-row seats are captain's chairs as well but they get canvas covers for better durability and include multiple storage bins for stashing accumulated junk. The third row can seat two but it's more useful as a cargo bay given its stainless steel load floor and multifunctional tailgate.
As futuristic as it looks on the outside, its mechanical underpinnings are more current than you might think. Ford's midsize car architecture provides the skeleton while an all-aluminum 3.0-liter Duratec generates the power. With bones like that, the Fairlane might not be as far-fetched as it looks.
What's Edmunds' Take?
The Fairlane certainly has the look of a family car of the future, but look closer and it appears to be nothing more than a traditional SUV with a high-dollar interior. We like the execution, but question whether it really points the way to anything truly innovative in the segment. — Ed Hellwig
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